Deshaun Watson is rehabbing from another injury, this time a ruptured Achilles, and for the first time since acquiring him via trade in 2022, general manager Andrew Berry won’t say Watson will be the Browns quarterback next season. Berry is not abandoning Watson, who in three seasons has played in six, six and seven games — often underwhelmingly — but during a bye week news conference Nov. 6 he would only say Watson returning to health is the first priority. “Really our focus with Deshaun, I would say for any player with a season-ending injury and a major injury, is first and foremost with the recovery, and to make sure that he gets healthy from the Achilles injury. Everything else we’ll deal with at a later moment.” Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury on Nov. 12, 2023, in a game with the Ravens. Berry reacted to the shoulder injury by saying a complete recovery was expected and that Watson would be the starter in 2024. #Browns general manager Andrew Berry won't second-guess himself about trading for Deshaun Watson in 2022. Nor will he talk about next season. pic.twitter.com/WkQTr6eCY2 — Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) November 6, 2024 Watson was the main focus of the news conference that lasted about 25 minutes. Berry did not answer directly when asked whether the idea to trade six draft picks to the Texans in March 2022 was Berry’s or whether it was a mandate from team owner Jimmy Haslam. Three of the draft picks sent to Houston were first-rounders. Come April 24, the Browns, 2-7, will be making a first-round selection for the first time since 2021. “I’d say this — like we’ve always said, all of us were on board,” Berry said. “Everyone was on board and obviously with a big commitment in that regard, that’s always going to be the case.” Asked “Is there a world in which Deshaun Watson can come back here and play more football for you guys?,” Berry’s answer was brief: “Yeah, I think that’s always possible.” Watson has never been embraced by Browns fans during his time in Cleveland. Part of that is the baggage he brought with him from Houston; more than two dozen massage therapists accused him of sexual misconduct in 2020 and ‘21, leading the NFL to suspend him for the first 11 games of 2022 with the Browns. The other part is he hasn’t won. He is 9-10 starting for the Browns. Watson was booed when the offense was introduced before the game with the Bengals on Oct. 20 at Huntington Bank Field. Some fans cheered when he suffered the Achilles tendon injury in the second quarter of that game. Berry made it clear that decisions he makes regarding the Browns will not be governed by fan reaction. “First and foremost, we love our fans,” Berry said. “We know that they’re passionate and they love the team. “As we make decisions organizationally, it’ll always be within what we think is within the best interest of the franchise. Some of those will be popular. Some of those will be unpopular, but that’s really the way that we’ll navigate it.” Two years remain on the five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract Watson signed in 2022. He will make $46 million each year and has a salary cap hit of roughly $73 million each year because of salary restructuring each of the first three years of his contract. Deshaun Watson leaves the field after the Browns lost to the Cowboys on Sept. 8. (Tim Phillis – For The News-Herald) Related Articles Cleveland Browns | Adjustments coming to Browns’ offense, GM Andrew Berry says Cleveland Browns | NFL trade deadline: Commanders acquire Lattimore; Lions get Za’Darius Smith; Steelers add Williams Cleveland Browns | Browns sell-off continues; Za’Darius Smith traded to Lions for third-day picks Cleveland Browns | Stefanski expects ‘no major changes’ as Browns begin bye week Cleveland Browns | PHOTOS: Browns vs. Chargers, Nov. 3, 2024